6 days 5 nights Singapore Trip with LICT Architecture Students

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Singapore Trip

The last time I went to Singapore was 3 years ago while doing cross project with NUS students. This lately trip is travel with Architecture Theory students from Limkokwing College of Creative Technology . The initial intention of having this trip is to let the students to explore real architecture and buildings by walking into them, sense them, understand and APPRECIATE them rather than always experience Architecture through MEDIA only.

03 April 209
Lasalle College of Arts by RSP architect
Lasalle College of Arts is an art school which runs courses such as fashion design, interior design, fine arts, performance and others arts program.

The school consists of 6 blocks with internal courts , sky bridges linking the whole school. Students Art works are all around the school and the green area at the ground floor become a students gathering area. Most of the lecture rooms are known as pods. The circulation is quite hard to comprehend for first time visitors. We are lucky to have someone to lead us through the tour. The strong edge and bold form of the college making this building one of the winner for the PRESIDENT DESIGN AWARD 2008.


Students exhibition SOMEDAY WE WILL KNOW made by thousands of ribbons at the sky bridge.

Bugis Junction Bugis Junction is a popular shopping spot with a covered walkway between the shophouses.




National Library Singapore by Ken Yeang architect
This skyscraper library is another green building by Ken Yeang architects. The architect insert small green space and plazas at intermediate floors. Therefore, visitors can either do their readings comfortably in the air con room or under the shade of trees. Natural lighting is very significant especially for a library, the architect tried to avoid deep floor space by having two blocks connected by a public walkways at ground floor area.


National Museum of Singapore
Another award winners of the President Design Awards 2008- the National Museum of Singapore. It is my first visit to this museum and it impressed me a lot . The museum has undergo an extension at the rear . The careful and detail combination of THE OLD and THE NEW was carried out well. However, the front entrance doesn't lead visitors and most unfortunately I missed out the exhibition at ground floor. Food gallery

Food gallery

Chijmes
A church converted into restaurants.


Bras Basah MRT station


04 April 2009
The Church of St Mary of Angels by WOHA architects
St Mary of the Angels is located at Bukit Batok area and designed by WOHA architects. The Catholic church consists of a church, an underground columbarium , canteen, prayer hall, admin office, carparks , kindergarten and others.

The use of materials and the natural lighting create a serene and holy feeling to the visitors. The most amazing experience is the visitors will speak softly and walk quietly once they enter the compound of the church complex.


Iluma by WOHA architects

05 April 2009
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Some of the students managed to tour around NUS and visit the Faculty of built environment . There are a lot of 3d timber scupltures all around the faculty and their students presentation works are wonderful.


VIvocity by Toyo Ito Vivocity by Toyo Ito -the design idea is from the river . The facade facing the river have waving terraces and sky parks for public activities.
This building is a bit disappointing in terms of the interior space planning. I actually expected a lot from Toyo Ito design, however the interior was only decorated with a few green ceiling panels flow through the shopping malls. The sky parks and some intermediate terraces are inserted at different floors, however they are created without much purpose as no control of the floor area.
There is a water pool, amphitheatre, restaurant at the sky park . It is a good intention of having a public activities space at the top floor, but the human circulation pattern is confusing and tiring.
Lau Pa Sat

This is a beautiful steel building , originally was a market place , now converted into a eating place.
Singapore River
Apologize for not able to provide any photos below. We started to walk from Raffles Place MRT along the Singapore River . There are huge Sky gardens projects carried out at Marina Bay. We continued to visit Fullerton Hotel, Esplanade Theatres, Boat Quay and Clarke Quay by foot. I always think when you travel by foot, you will find something unexpected in your journey.

Fullerton Hotel
Esplanade
Boat Quay
Clarke Quay


06April 2009
Orchard road
Sentosa Island


07 April 2009
URA city gallery
URA city gallery is more and more established compared to my last visit three years ago. Models and proposals of each of the district are exhibited at the ground floor area. They even have their own model studio where they produce wonderful models.


This is a MUST visit gallery for ARCHITECTURE students.


Other Photos:

p/s: This is my first time travel with students , there are some good and bad experience along the journey. My intentions for the trips as I explained earlier are for them to touch, sense, feel real buildings and understand the way Singapore planned its city. My expectation towards the majority of the students was really turn down as not many of them appreaciate the buildings they went to. The most disppointing parts are there are non-stop complaints and complaints until I let them explore themselves.

Putting all this apart, I still enjoy wondering and travelling especially where I can experience with ARCHITECTURE ,CULTURE and PEOPLE.